MARIA BY CALLAS

A compendium of interviews, performances, and writings from Maria Callas that proves she was an eloquent narrator of her own life and also provides an excellent introduction to her artistry. Arias are played in full, allowing us to appreciate the astonishing quality of her voice and her consummate abilities as an actress. The film reveals the essence of an extraordinary woman who rose from humble beginnings in New York City to become a glamorous international superstar, one of thea truly great vocal artists of all time. 2017, USA, 119 minutes, documentary

At the Rockland Jewish Community Center, 450 W. Nyack Road, West Nyack.

Stay for a discussion with Peter Danish, Editor-in-Chief of BWW Classical and author of The Tenor, an historical novel based loosely on the stories and anecdotes of several of Maria Callas’s personal friends.

“What is gratifying about the film is Volf’s obvious love for and devotion to Callas, as well as his completist’s urge to track down and include every scrap of footage at all relevant to telling her story and documenting her greatness.” – Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter

“In this immersive, often deliciously sensuous documentary portrait of the late opera star Maria Callas, viewers are treated to another rise-and-fall story of a great but tortured artist, this one punctuated by the occasional real-life bed of roses and pleasure cruise.” – Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

“A documentary that revitalizes history through primary sources, to illuminating, at times enthralling effect.” (NYT Critic’s Pick) – Ben Kenigsberg, The New York Times